OFFICE SAFETY AND

HEALTH
 OVERVIEW OF OFFICE HAZARDS

• Many hazards which cause thousands of injuries and health

problems annually exist in the office.

• In addition to the obvious hazards of open file drawers, the

modern office may contain poorly designed furniture and
equipment.
LEADING TYPES OF ACCIDENTS IN OFFICES

35%
• Leading types of disabling office
30%
accidents are:
25%
• Damages due to poor
20% arrangements
15% • Over Strain
10% • Caught in or between objects
5% • Heat stress
0%
Poor arrangements

Heat Stress
Struck by
Strain
 PHYSICAL LAYOUT AND HOUSEKEEPING
HAZARDS

• Poor design or poor

housekeeping can lead to:

• Poor Impression

• Poor Reputation

• Slips, trips and falls

 PHYSICAL LAYOUT/HOUSEKEEPING
CONTROLS

Important factors related to

office layout and orderliness
include:
• Maintain distance between
desks per employee.
• Keep telephone and electrical
cords out of aisles(Corridor)
and walkways.

Cords create tripping hazards

 PHYSICAL LAYOUT/HOUSEKEEPING
CONTROLS.

• Stationeries should be kept away

from edges of desks and tables.

• Clean your system and tables

everyday morning.

• Remove excess rubbish from the

work area ASAP.

• Proper cabling needed

Excess rubbish in work area

• Proper filing and labelling.

 FIRE HAZARDS

• A serious problem associated with

office design is the potential for fire
hazards.

• Offices contain large amounts of

combustible materials, such as paper,
computers and furniture which can
easily catch fire.
 FIRE HAZARD
CONTROLS

To reduce office fire

hazards:
• Fire extinguishers and
alarms must be
conspicuously placed and
accessible.
• Store excess paper
materials inside cabinets,
files or lockers.
• Use flame retardant
materials.
Blocked fire extinguisher
 HANDLING AND STORAGE
HAZARDS

• Improper lifting of materials

can cause damage to your body.

• Office materials that are

improperly stored can lead to
hazards such as objects falling
on workers, poor visibility, and
fires.

Improper storage
HANDLING AND STORAGE HAZARD
CONTROLS

Some controls to reduce handling and storage hazards

include:
• An effective ergonomic control program will help us to design
work tasks smoothly.

• No storage of materials on top of cabinets or in aisles or

walkways.

• Heavy objects stored on lower shelves and materials stacked

neatly.

• Flammable and combustible materials identified and properly

stored.
OFFICE FURNITURE
HAZARDS
Serious injuries can result
from:

• Defective furniture

• Misuse of chairs, desks, or

file cabinets

• Improper use of ladders and

stools
OFFICE FURNITURE HAZARD CONTROLS.

• Don’t lean back a office

chair with your feet up.
 OFFICE FURNITURE HAZARD
CONTROLS (CONTINUED)

File cabinets

• Open only one file drawer at

a time.

• Do not locate file cabinets

close to doorways or in aisles.

• Use drawer handles to close

file drawers.

OUCH!!
 ELECTRICAL HAZARDS

Electrical accidents in offices

usually occur as a result of:
• Faulty or defective equipment

• Switch off all equipment's

after use.

• Buy electrical equipment's

with CE
 ELECTRICAL HAZARD CONTROLS

• Equipment must be properly

grounded to prevent shock
injuries.

• A sufficient number of outlets

will prevent overloading of
circuits.

• Poorly maintained or non-

approved equipment should not
be used.
 ELECTRICAL HAZARD CONTROL.

• Machines must be disconnected before

cleaning or adjusting.

• Generally, machines and equipment

must be locked or tagged out during
maintenance.
 COMPUTER MONITORS & WORK STATION
ARRANGEMENT
Health concerns of computer monitors
involve:

• Eye irritation

• Low back, neck, and shoulder pain

• Stress

A candidate for neck pain

EXAMPLE OF POOR COMPUTER
DESIGN
Thank you for taking the time to learn about safety and health and
how to prevent injuries and illnesses.